Assignments

Which of the statements below are true?

Please answer the statements below. For each statement, the correct answer is described and justified.

Yes. Knowledge brokers promote the societal impact of research knowledge for a living. Some knowledge brokers organise discussion events and produce reviews of research knowledge (e.g., the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters) while others provide expert statements (e.g., the Finnish Climate Change Panel). Knowledge brokers can help research knowledge find its way into policy-making even via surprising routes and place researchers in face-to-face discussions with policy-makers.

Yes. Knowledge brokers promote the societal impact of research knowledge for a living. Some knowledge brokers organise discussion events and produce reviews of research knowledge (e.g., the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters) while others provide expert statements (e.g., the Finnish Climate Change Panel). Knowledge brokers can help research knowledge find its way into policy-making even via surprising routes and place researchers in face-to-face discussions with policy-makers.

No. Researchers have various different profiles in impact work and they can follow their own interests in their efforts to support policy-making. Of course, face-to-face discussions in workshops or work groups are great opportunities for building trust between researchers and policy-makers and forming a shared understanding of the problems and needs of decision-making.

No. Researchers have various different profiles in impact work and they can follow their own interests in their efforts to support policy-making. Of course, face-to-face discussions in workshops or work groups are great opportunities for building trust between researchers and policy-makers and forming a shared understanding of the problems and needs of decision-making.

Yes and no. Whatever your answer, it reflects your experience. We hope that our course has given you food for thought.

Yes and no. Whatever your answer, it reflects your experience. We hope that our course has given you food for thought.

Write a short reflective text

Utilise your own observations and views. 

This time the starting point of the task is a hypothetical incident. The situation is not typical of interaction between research and policy-making, but instead it describes a moment where things have gone awry from the perspectives of several different parties.  

  • Description of the situation: you have participated in a research project commissioned by a ministry. You compiled and summarised studies on utilising AI in mental health work. The civil servants of the ministry wanted to find out what is known about the topic and what kind of solutions could be implemented in Finland to utilise AI. You adapted the research results to the Finnish context as the subject had been studied elsewhere, and you suggested various solutions in the recommendations section of your report. You discussed the observations and possible applications in an event attended by civil servants and politicians. Now the topic and report have resulted in spirited discussion on social media and the contents seem to have taken on a life of their own. You have even received inappropriate feedback. For their part, the civil servants are displeased because they were expecting direct and strongly evidence-informed solutions from the study, and they consider the conclusions of your report to be too general and the tone too critical at times.  

Write: Briefly ponder why this could have happened. How do you think the researcher should act in this situation? How could the situation have been avoided? 

Get-together assignment

Discuss the course and its contents in a small group. Finally, write a short summary. 

Advisory template for the task: 

  • Introductions and experiences of the course 
  • Thoughts about participating in the interaction between research and policy-making. What do you find inspiring about it, and what is challenging (e.g., use of time, skills, methods, support)? 
  • Discussion about the tasks and topics covered in the course 
  • Summary of your feelings and what you have learned 

Literature and further reading 

de Jong, S., Barker, K., Cox, D., Sveinsdottir, T. & Van den Besselaar, P. (2014). Understanding societal impact through productive interactions: ICT research as a case. Science and Public Policy, 23, 89-102. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvu001 

Lam, A. (2011). What motivates academic scientists to engage in research commercialization: ‘Gold’, ‘ribbon’ or ‘puzzle’? Research Policy, 40, 1354-1368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2011.09.002 

Reale, E. (2022). Factors enabling social impact: The importance of institutional entrepreneurship in social science research. Science and Public Policy, 49, 632-642. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scac014